Software and Codec Versions?

[Aris_Boch]

Okay, being a newbie, I have spent the last month reading guides and posts and then trying every type of software I can find and then testing, testing again and finally testing some more. I've ripped a couple of dozen DVDs, captured numerous TV Segments and converted numerous AVIs trying all the various settings and/or templates. Occasionally everything works fine. But most of the time it results in one problem or another.

I've had mixed success in Ripping, Analog Capturing, Conversion, Encoding and Burning. I've tried the following software and codecs:

Capturing:VirtualDub as well as the software that ame with my TV Card.
Ripping: Smart Ripper, DVDecrypter, CladDVD and DVD2AVI
Encoding: TMPGEnc
Burning: EsayVCD and Nero 5.5 (no problems wiht burning at all)
I've also tried Ulead, Adobe and Panasonic, TSCV and various other software...

I've tried various codecs for capturing and for encoding AVI's in VirtualDub including all the versions of Divx, XMpeg, MS MPEG 4, Huffy, etc...

Burning is never a problem. But no matter what I do, encoding in TMPG is almost always problematic. Dropped Frames, Audio issues such as screeching and poor sync, TMPG freezing, slow seek times, etc. regardless of whether it is a DVD Rip, an AVI to MPEG conversion or a re-encode of a MPEG analog capture. Still occasionally everything works just fine.

Since I had better luck when I first began this journey, I think it's quite possible that over time, I have installed software/codecs on my PC that don't play well together. I think we have all had that problem at some time or another. You install a piece of software and it blows up something else...And yes I do reboot and defrag often and my drives are all in DMA mode...

In the hopes of fixing this and hopefully being able to have reliable results, regardless of what I'm doing, I have just finished a clean Win2K Pro install after completely wiping my HD. Now I want to install only the software I will be using. But I want to make sure I install compatible versions of everything. Plus I've spent so much time on this, my wife has become a "Video Widow" and I'm becoming a "Vidiot".

So please help me save my mind and marriage by giving me some guidelines on which software and codec versions I should use? Please don't suggest Huffy or PicVid. No offense, but Huffy has always resulted in extremely interlaced video for me and I'm not buying PicVid or anything more until I get this working reliably...

For now, I've decided on the following software:
Smart Ripper and DVDecrypter
DVD2AVI
VirtualDub
TMPGEnc
Possibly HeadA3che for converting Divx AC3 to wav
VCDEasy and Nero 5.5 for my audio and video burning along with CDRAO and the appropriate ASPI layer...


Also, here is my hardware config:
P4 1.4 GHz
768 MB Rambus RAM
MSI MB with Intel 850 Chipset and 400MHz FSB
Maxtor 80GB 7200RPM HD Running in UDMA 5
SB Live
NVidia GeForce2 Pro
AverTV Studio Card
Plextor 1610A
Pioneer DVD ROM

I'd really appreciate any suggestions on software and codecs as well as compatible verisons and where to obtain them if not on the "Tools" list. Of course, any other suggestions and/or other ideas would be welcomed! Please!!!

Thanks in advance! 8)
Aris

[KingJohn]

It would be easy if all the AVI's mpeg's were perfect, then we would not need half the programs we have. It would also be a lot easier if every one out there used one codec for video and the same one each time for audio.

Although there has been a large number of problem movies I have downloaded or produced, I have not found any that would not convert to what I wanted with TMPGEnc, apart from FAKES

You could download and install the codec's "As you need them" then might spot a problem, however you would soon get fed up of looking all over the place for a way to fix your problem. I have the "Nimo codec pack" installed which provides everything.

Each edit, will probable not be the same as the last, I wish they were so. Unless you have everything installed, you can soon run into difficulties.

Same goes with re-installing software, every time there is a new release of TMPGEnc you need to set up the VFAPI DirectShow priority, failing to do this may lead to you thinking there is a codec problem... And so on

A lot of people concentrate on Video codec's and completely forget about the many audio codec's needed like MP3, AC3 and get no end of problems trying to figure out why they wont decompress.

Even after you think you have everything, there is always something new around the corner waiting to catch you out.

Vdub can convert the AC3 to uncompressed WAV, so long as you have the codec

[Aris_Boch]

Thanks KingJohn. That helps. And I agree with you on standards. If we only lived in that little town named "Perfect".

I have the latest Nimo pack so I'll use it but should I do a full install, less the bicubic resizer and G400 codecs or just check off what I need?

Same goes with re-installing software, every time there is a new release of TMPGEnc you need to set up the VFAPI DirectShow priority, failing to do this may lead to you thinking there is a codec problem... And so on

I've read the guides and some posts on these priority settings, but haven't been able to clearly understand what order these should be in and just how high to set each one? Any suggestions?

Should they be changed or adjusted depending on if your converting AVI or re-encoding a MPEG? Sorry for my confusion...

Vdub can convert the AC3 to uncompressed WAV, so long as you have the codec

So all I need to do is install the appropriate, and various, AC3 codecs and I should be able to use VDub to export the wav? Cool!

One last question. Should I just install the latest versions of the various software I mentioned in my original post or should I stick with a particular version of any of them. For example, I seem to see many people posting issues with the latest version of TMPGEnc?...

I love this place. The guides are great and the folks really do try to help...

Thanks again for the quick response and your advice!
Aris

[KingJohn]

Yes install anything you think you may need, I think I excepted the default. Probably not use half of the things it puts in there.

It did say to un-install others first, I never did and don’t think I had any warning about file already in use. I would run it without un-installing anything, see if there is a problem.

Someone sad the other day it gave an error when trying to replace a file, the file did not exist so could not be replaced. A bit dumb, but if that happened you could always make a dummy file with notepad.

VFAPI DirectShow priority. Mine for that last year has always been at the top with a value of 4, not changed anything else. Once set, never needs changing again.

You always need the latest version of the software, But keep the old one just incase I find the latest TMPGEnc to be very very good, it even converts bad frames and manages to keep in sync. Not found many problems that could not be fixed like saving the audio in Vdub before use.

The latest Vdub does have a problem with scanning for junk frames, and it is known, so look out for the next fix.

[Aris_Boch]

Everything is set back up and capturing is working again. Looks like conversion is fine as well. Actually performance and final results appear even better than before. I still need to try out some rips over the weekend, but I'm hopeful everything I have done will work equally well with those.

So thank you again for taking the time to help me out! Hopefully this will also help someone else in the future...

Take care...
Aris

[KingJohn]

Nothing beats clearing out the cobwebs...